Constantia Flexibles Group has successfully started up its first digital printing machine to cater exclusively for the pharmaceutical industry. The investment in a multi-color UV inkjet printer has been made at Constantia Fromm near Stuttgart, Germany, and will be available for customer print trials and commercial orders at the end of this month.

The digital printer has a resolution of up to 720 x 1260 dpi and can print on aluminum blister foil, coated and uncoated paper, as well as PET and paper laminates. The print will be 100% checked by a web inspection system and verified in line with the customer’s artwork. Thorough testing has shown compliance with EU regulations for ink migration.

“This investment allows us to better serve our customers with short run orders, while our digital strategy creates the possibility for serialization and individual packs in the future,” said Pierre-Henri Bruchon, Executive Vice President of the Pharma Division. “At the same time, the digital technology offers a cost-effective alternative to online and in-house print solutions of pharmaceutical companies, thus allowing our customers to concentrate purely on making medicine.”

Constantia Fromm GmbH in Remshalden near Stuttgart is one of four plants within the Pharma division in Europe that represent the so-called “satellite concept”. Smaller plants print and cut pre-material from larger plants for regional and national customers. This organizational concept shortens the delivery time of foils and laminates and ensures a high degree of flexibility.

Constantia Flexibles Pharma Division is the world’s second largest flexible packaging manufacturer for the pharmaceutical industry. It operates production sites in Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Vietnam, the UK and Belgium.

Constantia Flexibles is the world’s fourth largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of ‘People, Passion, Packaging’, some 7,200 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 32 sites in 18 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the food and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. www.cflex.com